Jazz & Blues Lounge

Toyota Park sits in the southwestern suburb of Bridgeview.  It is not the place you would normally expect to find rock and roll legends jamming with some of the finest blues players around.  It is also not the place you would think you would find some of the best guitar playing around, and yet, this past weekend, it was the only place to be if you wanted to see the likes of Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow and Buddy Guy.
The Crossroads tour/show came through this past weekend and played at Toyota Park.  It was 11  hours of some of the finest …read more

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Finding the blues on Chicago radio can be a bit tricky.  I honestly do not know of any stations dedicated to JUST the blues.  Maybe because that would just be too much misery for 24 hours of solid broadcast.
There are some stations that have blues-related shows.  One of them is a guy who has been a radio legend in Chicago for over thirty years.  His name is Steve Dahl, his newsman is also a blues performer named Buzz Killman and every Monday they have “Blue Monday.”  What this means is the show kicks off with a great blues song, is …read more

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There are just some names in the world of Jazz that bring about feelings of awe and respect.  Some of them are probably names you know.  Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker Thelonius Monk and even Jelly Roll Morton may come to mind for you.  The name of Charles Mingus should also be there.
For an example of the sheer talent and power that Mingus had, track down a version of his “Haitian Fight Song” and I dare you not to be impressed.
Thankfully, there is now a brand new album out of recently-discovered performances and has now been released …read more

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Since I somehow ended up dedicating all of last week’s posts to the jazz scene, I felt it was only appropriate to spend this week checking out various blues-related activities. 
Chicago, however, is such a blues town, that I could spend nearly twenty-four hours just listing blues performances. 
Still, some of you may be planning a blues pilgrimmage or something to this town.  I would be remiss if I did not at least try to let you know what is going on around town and where.  So, without further ado, here are some significant blues performances going on arond town this week:
Wednesday …read more

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We do live in amazing times.  These days, really, with the internet and things like MySpace and Facebook and blogs, there is no celebrity who is too out of reach.  These days, you can almost literally reach out and touch your favorite star whether that star is a musician, movie star or television star.
For example, on MySpace, I subscribe to a few different blogs and have become “friends” with some people who are celebrities.  Of course, I am not delusional enough to believe that they actually know who I am, but it is an interesting way to learn intimate things …read more

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I wanted to point you to another blogger in our arsenal here. It’s a great story about being married to a jazz musician. 
Hey, you can always stand to learn about another Jazz musician, plus it’s a great reminder about the iPod contest that b5media is holding.
Click here for a link to the story about Jazz music, airplanes and winning an iPod.

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I guess some may argue that Buddy Guy’s Legends has almost become too big.  I guess I can almost agree with that.  There are some who want their Blues Clubs so dark you can barely see the stage.  They probably also would prefer them filled with smoke and want the performers to sit with their eyes closed.
At the same time, there is no denying that Buddy Guys is a blues legend and one of the greatest guitarists you are likely to see.  His performance during his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame still resonates with fans, like …read more

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I thought I would close out my week dedicated to jazz events in and around Chicago with a quick list of some of the events at some of the key places around town.  Needless to say, this is but a small sampling.  There are so many places if you include the suburbs, a complete list is almost impossible.  However, all of these are excellent venues and events and you can’t go wrong with any of them. 

Mike Staron Duo
      20-Jul-2007 and 22-Jul-2007   From 5:00:00 PM to 11:00:00 PM

Featuring: Mike Staron

Sullivan’s
Naperville

244 S. Main

Naperville, IL  

630 305-0230

Cost: No cover / No minimum …read more

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In the city of Chicago, your broadcasting options for good jazz is very limited.  The NPR station, WBEZ, that used to broadcast classic jazz during the overnight hours, has since closed up shop.
There is WNUA, which is a Smooth Jazz station.  However, I have never been as big a fan of Smooth Jazz as I have the classic jazz of people like Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie.
There is, however, WDCB, which is the listener-sponsored station on the campus of the College of DuPage.  They have become the leading jazz station in the city by default.  They also sponsor a lot …read more

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This is the problem with trying to cover a musical genre with the scope jazz and blues has in the Chicago area alone. Any attempt to cover this music on a nationwide basis would take a staff of hundreds, I think. Had I known about this gig sooner, well, I would have posted it.
Apparently Anthony Michael Hall’s mom (yes, that would be the same Anthony Michael Hall from TV’s ‘The Deadzone” and “The Breakfast Club”) is a jazz singer of some talent. Don’t believe me? Check out her site: www.mercedeshall.com. She also is …read more

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